Foot-actuated latch



Dec. 28, 1965 B. KIRSCH 3,225,363

FOOT-ACTUATED LATCH Original Filed Sept. 1, 1959 IN V EN TOR.

3,225,363 FOGT-ACTUATED LATCH Benjamin Kirsch, 418 3rd St., Elmont, N.Y.Continuation of application Ser. No. 837,518, Sept. 1, 1959. Thisapplication Mar. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 356,177 Claims. (Cl. 5-55) Thisapplication is a continuation of my copending application Serial No.837,518 filed Sept. 1, 1959, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to foot-actuated latches and moreparticularly to a readily releasable latch unit of this type which isadapted for attachment to beds, couches, sectional furniture or the likefor the purpose of holding a plurality of units in assembledrelationship and quickly releasing the furniture units for relativemovement whenever desired.

The latch unit of the present invention may be conveniently attached tothe usual angle members of the furniture frame which are of L-shapedcross-section.

Briefly, the latch unit comprises a latch-carrying plate member and anapertured strike plate member adapted to receive the latch member. Thetwo plate members are removably attached to adjacent longitudinalportions of the angle members of two pieces of furniture which are to beheld together releasably in side-by-side relationship. The pivotallymounted latch member of the latch unit has a sloping surface and isspring-pressed so that it will be guided into and yieldingly engageagainst one side of the aperture in the strike plate member.Additionally, the latch member is notched for locking engagement with anedge portion of strike plate'member adjacent to the aperture. The latchmember is provided with a downwardly extending extension whichterminates just above the floor. A person desiring to release the latchmay do so, while remaining standing, by a simple lateral movement of hisfoot, whereby the foot presses against the lower end of the extension.

Various objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent upon reading the following specification together with theaccompanying drawing forming a part hereof.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing twin bedspivoted to a common headboard, the beds being illustrated inside-by-side relationship and with a latch in accordance with theinvention in locked position, the two plate members of the latch beingmounted on the adjacent angle members of the two bed frames near thefoot portions of the two beds.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the two beds swung apart,as for cleaning the floor or making the beds, the latch being open.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end elevational view showing the latch in itslocked condition, the angle members of the bed frames being shown intransverse section.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the latch shown in FIG. 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the latch shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of twin beds each individually designatedgenerally as and 11, respectively, is symmetrically pivoted as at 13 toa common headboard 14. The beds 10 and 11 are provided with casterswhich permit the beds to be swung apart on their separate pivots 13 fromthe side-by-side position shown in FIG. 1 to the separated positionshown in FIG. 2. When in the separated position of FIG. 2, it isrelatively convenient and easy to sweep the floor beneath the beds andto make the beds.

The bed 10 is provided with a box spring 17 and the other bed 11 issimilarly provided with a box spring 18.

nited States Patent 0 3,225,363 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 The box spring 17is of rectangular configuration in plan view and its lower portion issupported by a horizontally extending quadrangular framework of anglemembers comprising longitudinal angle members 20 and transverse anglemembers 21, all of L-shaped cross-section. The other box spring 18 issimilarly supported on a quadrangular framework of angle memberscomprising longitudinal angle members 23 and transverse angle members24. When the two beds are in side-by-side relationship as shown in FIG.1, one of the longitudinal angle members 20 of one bed 10 extendsparallel and in proximity to one of the longitudinal angle members 23 ofthe other bed 11.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the latch comprises a latch-carryingplate member designated generally as 26 and a cooperating strike platemember designated generally as 27. The upper end portion of thelatch-carrying plate member 26 is hooked as indicated at 29 and embracesthe upper edge of the upright portion 30 of the longitudinal anglemember 23 of bed 11. An L-shaped bracket 31 is provided with ahook-shaped terminal portion 33 which embraces the inner edge of thehorizontally extending portion 34 of longitudinal member 23. TheL-shaped bracket 31 is removably attached to the latchcarrying platemember 26 by threaded fastening means illustratively shown as a screw orbolt and nut unit 36.

The strike plate member 27 is hooked at its upper end as indicated at 37and embraces the upper edge of the upright portion 38 of thelongitudinal angle member 20 of the bed 10. A further L-shaped bracket39 is provided with a hook-shaped terminal portion 40 which embraces thehorizontally extending portion 41 of the longitudinal member 20 of bed10. The L-shaped bracket 39 is removably attached to the strike platemember 27 by threaded fastening means illustratively shown as a screw orbolt and nut unit 43.

An L-shaped supporting bracket 44 is riveted as at 45 to thelatch-carrying plate member 26. A pivot member, illustratviely shown asa rivet 47 fixed to the supporting bracket 44, carries a latch memberdesignated generally. as 48. The latch member 48 is yieldingly urged ina counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3 by a helical tensionspring 49. One end of the spring 49 is secured to the latch-carryingplate member 26 and the other end is secured to the latch member 48. v

The latch member 48 comprises a generally vertically extending dependingportion 51 which is provided at its lower end with a sleeve 52 formed ofresilient material such as rubber for engagement with the toe of a shoe(not shown) of a person actuating the latch member 48. The sleeve 52 islocated in proximity to the floor where it may be conveniently engagedby the toe portion of the shoe of the person while actuating the latch.Because the sleeve 52 is formed of suitable resilient material, the shoewill not be scuffed.

The depending portion 51 of latch member 48 is connected by ahorizontally extending leg portion 53 to a latch-lever portion 55 of thelatch member 48. The latchlever portion 55 is pivoted intermediate itsends to the pivot 47 and extends freely through a rectangular aperture56 formed in the latch-carrying plate member 26. The strike plate member27 has a rectangular aperture 57 formed therein to receive the free endportion of the latchlever portion 55 of the latch member 48. The freeend of the latch-lever portion 55 is rounded to form a nose portion 59that will ride up over the lower edge of the aperture 57 in strike platemember 27 as the beds 10 and 11 are brought together. The lower edge ofthe latchlever portion 55 has rectangular notches 60 and 61 formedtherein adjacent to the nose portion 59 for locking en gagement with thelower edge of the aperture 57 in the latch plate member 27.

In operation, the beds and 11, when in the position shown in FIG. 1, maybe unlocked from each other by simply pressing leftwardly on the sleeve52. The beds 10 and 11 may then be swung apart into the position shownin FIG. 2 for making the beds or sweeping the fioor beneath the beds.They may be re-locked together by bringing them back into the positionshown in FIG. 1 whereupon the spring-pressed latch-lever portion 55 willreengage the strike plate member 27 with notch 60. If a closer spacingbetwen the beds 10 and 11 is desired, the latch-lever 55 may be actuatedso that the notch 61 is engaged with the strike plate 27 instead of thenotch 60, r

as shown in FIG. 3. The two portions of the latch are so dimensionedthat they will fit in the availale space between the longitudinal anglemembers and 23 of the beds 10 and 11, respectively. The two parts of thelatch may be attached or removed at will by use of the threadedfastening means 36 and 43.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be the bestembodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A latch for use with a pair of beds pivoted for relative movementabout a vertical axis, said beds having a normally closed positionwherein a horizontally elongated straight structural member of each bedextends paraller to and in spaced relationship with respect to acorresponding structural member of the other bed, said structuralmembers being positioned at a predetermined fixed height above a floor,each of said structural members comprising an upwardly extending portionwhich terminates in a free edge, said beds being pi-votable about saidaxis to an open position wherein said structural members divergeoutwardly away from said axis, said latch comprising: a first platemember; first detachable fastening means for securing said first platemember to said structural member of one of said beds at a locationspaced from said axis; a second plate member; second detachablefastening means for securing said second plate member to said structuralmember of the other bed, said plate members confronting each otherwithin the space between said structural members with said beds in saidclosed position when said latch is operatively positioned on said beds,each of said plate members being shaped to form a hook at its upper endportion, said hook being engageable with said free edge of thestructural member to which it is fastened to hold said plate membersimultaneously against downward displacement nad against lateraldisplacement of said upper end portion with respect to its associatedstructural member when said latch is operatively positioned on saidbeds; a spring pressed latch member carried by said first plate member,said second plate member having an aperture formed therein for receivingsaid latch member to lock said plate members together with said beds insaid closed position; and an actuator extending downwardly to provide afree end portion at a location spaced above the floor by a distancewhich is sufiiciently small when said latch is operatively positioned onsaid beds to permit engagement of said free end portion by the foot ofan operator by lateral displacement of the foot while the foot remainselfectively in engagement with the floor, said actuator being carried bysaid first plate member and connected to release said latch member inresponse to said engagement with said foot for moving said beds to saidopen. position.

2. A latch according to claim 1, wherein each of said detachablefastening means comprises disengageable means holding a portion of eachplate member located below said hook simultaneously against lateral andupward displacement with respect to its associated structural member.

3. A latch according to claim 1, wherein said plate members are of thesame dimensions, the edges of said plate members being in horizontalalignment with said beds in said closed position.

4. A latch for use with two elongated pieces of furniture which aremovable relatively to each other over a floor, said pieces beingnormally closely spaced together in side-by-side relationship, each ofsaid pieces comprising a longitudinally extending horizontal L-shapedangle member, said angle members being normally disposed in closelyspaced parallel relationship at the same height above the floor, saidangle members having confronting upwardly extending vertical portionsand horizontally inwardly extending portions, said latch comprising: alatch-carrying plate member, a strike plate member normally directlyconfronting said latch-carrying plate member, each of said plate memberscomprising a hooked upper end portion embracing the free upper edge ofone of said vertical portions when said latch is operatively positionedon said pieces of furniture, two bracket members each secured to one ofsaid plate members, each of said bracket members comprising a hooked endportion which embraces a free inner edge of one of said horizontallyextending portions when said latch is operatively positioned on saidpieces of furniture, the upper portions of said plate members When saidlatch is operatively positioned on said pieces of furniture, beingdisposed in the space between said vertical portions of said anglemembers, said strike plate member having an aperture formed therein, anda latch member pivoted to said latch-carrying plate member, said latchmember including a notched portion extending through said aperture,spring means yieldingly holding said notched portion in lockingengagement with an edge of said aperture, said latch member furthercomprising a depending portion extending downwardly, when said latch isoperatively positioned on said pieces of furniture, into proximity tosaid floor, lateral displacement of said depending portion unlockingsaid notched portion, whereby said pieces may be unlocked to permitrelative movement by lateral engagement of the lower end of saiddepending portion by the toe of the foot of a person actuating saidlatch.

5. A latch according to claim 4, wherein said bracket members aresecured to said plate members by removable fastening means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 571,000 11/1896Jackson 512 X 1,117,877 11/ 1914 McAllister 292-255 1,329,395 2/ 1920Gamlin 108-5 1,718,923 6/1929 Hananer 555 2,118,050 5/1938 Martin 5552,144,651 1/ 1939 Feldman 292-128 2,272,825 2/ 1942 Anderson 292-4282,523,987 9/ 1950 Fox 58 2,703,265 '3/1955" Wolfe Q48228 3,008,17611/1961 Paine, et al. 5--8 FOREIGN PATENTS 900,870 1/ 1954 Germany.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. A LATCH FOR USE WITH A PAIR OF BEDS PIVOTED FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENTABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID BEDS HAVING A NORMALLY CLOSED POSITIONWHEREIN A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED STRAIGHT STRUCTURAL MEMBER OF EACH BEDEXTENDS PARALLER TO AND IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO ACORRESPONDING STRUCTURAL MEMBER OF THE OTHE BED, SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERSBEING POSITIONED AT A PREDETERMINED FIXED HEIGHT ABOVE A FLOOR, EACH OFSAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS COMPRISING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION WHICHTERMINATES IN A FREE EDGE, SAID BEDS BEING PIVOTABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS TOAN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS DIVERGE OUTWARDLY AWAYFROM SAID AXIS, SAID LATCH COMPRISING: A FIRST PLATE MEMBER; FIRSTDETACHABLE FASTENING MEANS FOR SECURING SAID FIRST PLATE MEMBER TO SAIDSTRUCTURAL MEMBER OF ONE OF SAID BEDS AT A LOCATION SPACED FROM SAIDAXIS; A SECOND PLATE MEMBER; SECOND DETACHABLE FACTENING MEANS FORSECURING SAID SECOND PLATE MEMBER TO SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBER OF THE OTHERBED, SAID PLATE MEMBERS CONFRONTING EACH OTHER WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEENSAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS WITH SAID BEDS IN SAID CLOSED POSITION WHEN SAIDLATCH IS OPERATIVELY POSITIONED ON SAID BEDS, EACH OF SAID PLATE MEMBERSBEING